Being an Introvert

One of the things I love so much about getting older is discovering who I am and being comfortable with myself. I have realized about myself and my closest friends that many of us are introverts. I would say I am mostly an introvert and 40% an extrovert.I think to my first memories and I’ve always been this way. I need time to myself. Like, a lot of time. Maybe it’s because I need to clear my mind for creative purposes or maybe it’s because my mind needs to recharge. Whatever it may be, so often I find myself going into the woods or going to a quiet beach to be alone with my thoughts.

Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, it’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable and really embrace that aspect of my personality. I think that growing up an introvert meant there was something wrong with me. We tend to keep our thoughts to ourselves until we can find a way to express them cohesively. Because so much of our process and life happens in our head we can seem aloof when that is not the case. Many of us tend to be over sensitive and think about every detail. I think the most important part is finding ways to express yourself in the way that makes sense to you and feels closest to your core.

I found some really amazing quotes on the topic.

“The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers — of persistence, concentration, and insight — to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems. make art, think deeply.”-Susan Cain

“They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions–sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments–both physical and emotional–unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss–another person’s shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly.”-Susan Cain

“So stay true to your own nature. If you like to do things in a slow and steady way, don’t let others make you feel as if you have to race. If you enjoy depth, don’t force yourself to seek breadth. If you prefer single-tasking to multi-tasking, stick to your guns. Being relatively unmoved by rewards gives you the incalculable power to go your own way.”-Susan Cain

“Introverts need to trust their gut and share their ideas as powerfully as they can. This does not mean aping extroverts; ideas can be shared quietly, they can be communicated in writing, they can be packaged into highly produced lectures, they can be advanced by allies. The trick for introverts is to honor their own styles instead of allowing themselves to be swept up by prevailing norms.”-Susan Cain

“Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured…Spend your free the way you like, not the way you think you’re supposed to.” -Susan Cain

***

Summers in New England are so beautiful and there are so many places you can escape to if you need it.

I wonder about you? Are you more introverted? or Extroverted? Or both?